Opposite Sides of the Hall
by Mello-Drama-Reborn
Summary: In the middle of the end of the world, the room on the opposite side of the hall can hold unbelievable comfort.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, get up."

Daichi groaned as he rolled apathetically on his bed.

A second later, he felt the wind get knocked out of him as a small weight landed on his stomach.  
"Ow! What the hell, Keita!?"

"I said get up."  
Kaichi's eyes opened to see Keita stretched out on top of him. His elbows were resting uncomfortably on Daichi's chest, and he could see Keita's feet swinging back and forth behind his head.

"How am I supposed to get up when you're on top of me!?"  
"Lift both of us up."  
"It's first thing in the morning!"  
"Not for some of us."

Daichi gave a weak yell, attempting to roll over only for Keita to shift his weight and pin him down on his stomach again.  
"Geez, the chick you brought gets up on her own fine, but you three are a real pain."  
Daichi looked sleepily up at Keita. That's right… Joe never gets up at a good time, and Hibiki…  
It frustrated Daichi just thinking about it. For the past few days, _Makoto_ of all people had been coming into Hibiki's room first thing in the morning to wake him. Daichi wished for the thousandth time that Makoto would come into his room instead of the thin twerp currently perched on his stomach.

"Have any Sepritones shown up or something?"  
"Not yet."  
Daichi gave a yawn, pushing back into his pillow.  
"Hmm… You're pretty boney, but the pressure actually feels kinda nice. Maybe I'll just go back the slee-OOF!" Keita pressed all of his weight onto one elbow, stabbing it into Daichi's collarbone. "Don't you have anything better to do!?" Daichi hollered. Keita simply shrugged, looking at him expectantly. "Rrrrrgh,you little twerp-!"  
Daichi feebly started to push himself off the bed, struggling under the weight of Keita plus his own sleep-weakened body. Keita stared at him critically as Daichi fell back on the bed.

"What the hell was that? You call yourself a man?"  
"No, I call myself tired!"  
Daichi tried once again to lift them both off the bed, shoving Keita over with his elbow as he got himself into a sitting position. "You suck."  
Keita sat on the bed to his side, his legs still slightly tangled in Daichi's. He brought himself into a sitting position as well, gathering himself in one place before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Finally. Now get dressed."  
Keita got up and walked out the door as Daichi reached for his things, wondering for the first time why Keita even bothered getting him up in the first place.


	2. Chapter 2

"Seriously?"

Daichi stared down at the small boy curled up in his bed. The one day he managed to drag himself out of bed at a decent time, and he was being punished for it.  
_Damn, though, he looks exhausted… Maybe I should just let him sleep?  
_Keita was thoughly passed out. He had extended himself way past his limit in the last Sepritone battle, and while his wounds had been healed up with dias and Otome, he was obviously tired out.

Looking down at him uncertainly, Daichi noticed how relaxed Keita looked. His breathing was soft and even, and his face looked younger without its usual scowl.  
_He almost looks… Cute?  
_Daichi didn't realize he had been reaching out to touch him until his wrist was suddenly caught by the now awake Keita, one eye glaring at him evenly.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you creep?"  
"AAHH! What the hell- you were totally asleep just now!"  
"Some people are light sleepers. And I guess it's a good thing, too."  
"I wasn't going to do anything creepy!"  
"Then what were you doing, weirdo?"

Keita flung away his wrist and threw his feet over the side of the bed, already moving towards the dresser standing at the other end of the small room. Daichi felt a bit disappointed when Keita got up without a fight. He was so used to Keita taking forever to get him up he didn't imagine that it wouldn't work similarly the other way around.

"Getting up already? I mean, aren't you still tired? You had a long day yesterday-"  
"What? You mean go back to bed and let you watch me sleep? No thank you."  
"Wha- " Daichi lifted his hands to defend himself, "wait-, that is totally not what I meant!"  
Keita fixed him a cold glare.

"What? Did you want to crawl into bed with me? Get out of here, you pervert."

"Pervert!? I'm not a- " the door slammed in his face before he could finish.  
_I mean, I am kind of a pervert…. But I'm only used to girls calling me that!_

__Daichi followed after Keita, but he noticed that he was in an even worse mood than usual through breakfast. Slightly concerned, Daichi followed him down the hallway as they all split up to go about their daily business until a Sepritone came.

"Hey, are you sure you got enough rest today? You seem a bit-"  
"Auugh, quit it, loser!" Keita's scolding came quick, consistant with his mood so far that day. "I'm telling you I'm just fine. Though..." Keita looked up at him to give him a glare, "it does piss me off you actually woke up today. It means I missed out on teasing you today." Before Daichi could comment, Keita was already walking away, mumbling angerly to himself 'I can't believe I overslept.'


	3. Chapter 3

Keita moved into a fighting stance, his summoned demons tensing beside him. His team and the three enemy demons in front of him were all that existed. Everything else was darkness.  
His mind clear, Keita launched a right straight at the rangda in front of him. Instantly he felt hot pain tear through his knuckles, doing nothing to slow his barrage of punches that were falling like rain upon the demon. His brain was empty save for the jolt of pain after each hit and the steady rhythm of his right fist against the monster, until finally he heard a crack. Unwavering, his fist slammed again the demon, unraveling into a crumpled mass of limp limbs.

The pain was unbearable now, but his mind registered nothing and without hesitation he let his useless hand fall, raising the other and digging it into the still unharmed demon. He was putting more force behind his blows, the shock travelling in throbs up his arm with each futile blow. His mind was beginning to awaken, but his body moved on his own, slamming hit after hit into the rangda, his knuckles becoming raw and red.  
This time the snapping came from his forearm, the limb falling limply to his side. Keita's sense of urgency had returned to him, and he took a few quick steps to separate himself from his enemy, fighting down his fear as he realized how handicapped he'd become.

Keita turned just in time to see his rakasha pierce into an enemy agares, severing his arms. Seeing the opening in his enemy's guard, his fighting spirit kicked in again and he swung his leg to deliver the finishing blow.  
The moment his kick landed, though, he knew something was wrong.  
The agares' severed limbs were regenerating, and when Keita looked down he saw with horror that his leg was disappearing.  
Horrified, Keita tried to back away only to stumble and fall backwards.

It was over. Without his fists, his feet; he was nothing.  
Useless.

A shadow loomed over, and for a moment Keita almost felt grateful. Before despair could truly grip him, the third demon would.

Keita woke up in the dark, gasping for breath. He looked around wildly, but this was not the same black as before, already the familiar shapes of his room were fading into view.

Feeling the sweat-soaked sheets under him, Keita cursed himself for falling prey to something as childish as a nightmare. When he lay down again and closed his eyes, however, he shuddered at the sudden completeness of the dark.

With a sigh he lugged his weary body out of bed.  
To his annoyance, when he thought of sleep, a single face kept appearing in his mind.

There was no helping it, he had to see him.


	4. Chapter 4

Panicing already, Daichi threw another hit at the demon in front of him. Once again it bounced off harmlessly.  
Daichi desperately looked for someone to help him. His attacks should work on this demon, he'd beaten plenty of them before! Why wasn't anything working now?!  
Just as Daichi was about to shout to the others, one of his own demons knocked away the demon he had been fighting in a single blow.  
_"Maybe that one has pierce?" _he wondered, though he didn't remember that it did.

Still fighting down the shock of what had just happened, Daichi took off towards the next patch of demons. They were everywhere, and everyone was fighting so hard, _there's no way I can just sit back and do nothing! I have to help out too!_

Daichi spotted Hibiki and ran to back him up, but when he approached, Hibiki pushed Daichi aside.  
"You're in the way!" he shouted, and Daichi swore he had never seen his friend with such a hostile expression on his face.

While he stood there shocked, Io appeared out of nowhere to blast a demon that had been approaching him, looking down at him scornfully.  
"Pay attention, Daichi!"  
Daichi scrambled to his feet and distanced himself from the others, still looking for somewhere he could help. He found Hinako, but before he could even start in her direction she shooed him away.  
"We don't need you, Daichi, get out of here!"

Daichi froze dead in his tracks.  
Was he really that worthless to everyone?  
Was he really…  
Useless?

Suddenly Daichi became aware of a set of jaws looming dangerously near.  
He screamed for help, but no matter how he yelled, no one seemed to hear him. Turning with tears in his eyes to the rows of teeth only inches from his face, he thought, _"maybe this is for the best…?"_

Daichi's restless sleep was broken as the faint light of the hallway poured onto his face.  
"Hey," Keita's face appeared dimly in the doorway, "I need you."  
"You need…. Me?"  
"Yeah."

With a quiet click, Keita slipped into the room, the darkness following him in. After some rustling of footsteps, Daichi felt a familiar pressure on his stomach.

"Don't ask what I'm doing, cus I don't know." Keita, from his new position, noticed the quick rise and fall of Daichi's chest for the first time. "Dude, you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Here,"  
Daichi moved so the edges of the blanket crossed over Keita's back. Annoyed, Keita moved off him and threw up the covers. As Daichi gawked in confusion, Keita slipped under the blankets back into his original position, except the covers now draped over them both.

The heat of their bodies trapped under the blankets was immediately overwhelming. Both their heads heavy with fatigue and the relief of the comfort the other provided, their minds wandered. Daichi was noticing the way their legs were tangled together, how Keita was cold and thin. Keita was realizing that Daichi had a unique scent, disgusting but familiar and oddly intoxicating.  
Keita let his head fall forward, so that his forehead was resting against Daichi's cheek. He rested there for only an instant until he shot back up again.  
"Wet… Don't tell me you were crying! 'I'm fine' my ass, you had a nightmare too!"  
"Too?" Daichi moved to wipe his eyes and Keita caught his wrist, wiping the stray tear away himself. That done, Keita's thin fingers lingered on Daichi's cheek, his hand slowly cupping his face.  
After a bit of hesitation, Daichi reached up and did the same, Keita's skin unexpectedly warm against his palms.

Neither of them noticed their faces slowly drawing closer together until, with a slight intake of breath from Keita, their noses brushed together. The heat already having brung the suffocating weight of sleep back to his mind, Keita let his face fall further, nuzzling into the space between Daichi's nose and cheek. Daichi, shifting Keita's face, turned to kiss him. To his surprise, Keita didn't argue or fight back, accepting the kiss peacefully. Neither had the strength to move, so they just stayed like that, their lips touching but neither of them moving, for a long time.

Keita lifted his head just before he fell completely asleep. When he closed his eyes, his senses were filled with Daichi's scent, and he felt himself relaxing even further.  
Waking slightly from the movement, Daichi opened one eye groggily, his voice weak and muddled with sleep.  
"You're leaving?"

"I told you I wouldn't sleep with you, pervert."  
Saying this, Keita's head fell back against Daichi's shoulder, and shortly after their both fell into a deep sleep.


End file.
